Shipping crate



July 12, 1932. P. N. CURTIS 1,867,062

SHIPPING CRATE Filed 001;. 7. 1950 Patented July 12', 1932 muren srAreS Para PHILIP N. CURTIS, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, YAssis-iron` To BAKER BOX ,CoM-

PANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, .AY CORPORATION OF 'MASSACHUSETTS k SHIPPING CRATE Application filed October 7, 1930. Serial No. 487,014.

rlhis invention` relates toa crate for hold- Y ing and transporting mill; bottles and other rif Cil

similar containers.

Itis the object of my invention to provide Y an improved construction of crate for such purposes, so designed that the crate may be easily and veconomically manufactured and that it will most effectively serve its intended purposes.

`With this and other objects in view, important features of the invention relate to the provision of an improved partition Structure and improved means for'se'curing the 'partition structure in place.

also provide a construction which permits removal and replacement of the lower portion of the crate when this lower portion becomes worn or broken in Service'.v

My invention further relates to arrange' ments and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particu.- larly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved crate;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, taken along the line 2 2 in Fig. l; Y j y Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 33 in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, taken along the line 4 4 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View of a portion of: the partition structure. Y

Referring to the drawing, my improved Vshippingcrate comprises a casing formed of sides and ends 11, and a partition structure comprising a set of relatively wide cross members 12 and a second set of relatively narrow and spaced cross members 13.

The sides l() andends 11 are secured together to forma rigid enclosing casing by inner and outer corner pieces 15 and 16.

The lower portionsvlOa and 11at (Figs. 3 andV 4) of the Sides 10 and ends 11 are preferably formed separate from the upper portions of the members 10 and 11 but are secured in assembled relation therewith by the corner pieces 15 and 16. Y l

The outer corner pieces 16 are preferably provided with inwardly projecting end por-V 'adapted to be vreceivedV intions 17 (Fig. l), vertical grooves in the outer faces of the sides 10 and ends 11'. When positioned in asseme bled relation, the corner pieces `16 thus effectively prevent spreading of the casing'atA The corner pieces -are secured' in position in anyconvenientmanner butf preferably by screws or rivets 20 extending through the parts of the casinga-nd joining the inner and outer corner'pieces together.

thecorners.

rllhe `partition f structure formedV as indicated in Fig. that the wide cross members 12 arenotched, as indicated at`l30, to receivevthe'narrow cross membersh 13 in spaced relation .The members13jare also preferably groovedin their side faces, asindicatedv at 32f,fto receive the vedge portions ofthe members 12 and ythus is preferably hold the membersy 12 from movement longi tudinally of the members 13.

The membersf12 and 13'are'pre-.ferably formed lof wood, which is 'particularly adapt-V ed for separating and securely holding glass containers such as milk bottles. rlhebottles are cushioned against the slightly yielding Surface of the wood,and furthermore the partitions 12 and13 subdivide the space'with-4 in the crate in such aV manner that circulationA of air is reduced and the cool temperature of the bottles is more effectively maintained., Y The inner faces of the Vsides 10 and ends l1 are grooved out for aportion of their width,

as indicated at in'Fig.. 2, and theI ends1of themembers 12 and 13 are received and securely heldin the grooves 35.

Tie rods 40 extend from side to side of the casing, and the ends of the cross rods are firmly secured in the sides 10 of the casing,

preferably by being headed over against washers 41 at the outside of the casing, as indicated at Fig. 3. j

The tie rods 40 are thus firmly Secured` in position and prevent spreading of the sides 10, firmly retaining the partition structure 4z r.

5 which `'shows Se), y

in the grooves 35. .The bottom edges of the Y partition structure preferably rest directly on the tie rods 40, as indicated in Fig. 4, and j the partition structure is thus firmly sup- Y 'ported thereby. i

f Y side wall casing sections, a

cured within sa1dvcasing,a bottom for said The tie rods 40 also form the bottom of the crate'and support the bottles or containers i 'placed in the several compartments thereof.

l'The rods 40 are upwardly lspaced from the Vpieces 15, by which lower edge of the easing, as indicated in Fig. 3, thus providing a space to receive the projecting upper ends 44 of the inner corner superposed position.

securely stacked in improved crates, the par-v In assembling my tition structure is preferably built up to ormy a unit, around which the ends and-sides are then `assembled and secured by the corner pieces 15 and 16. n Or preferably two ends and one side are assembled, after which the partition structure is insertedand the second side is then placed'in position. v

It will be obvious vthat the bottom portions of the crate will receive the greatest amount of wear and will require the most frequent replacement. VlVith my improved construction, by removing the lower fastening members 20, I can remove the bottom sections 1()EL andlP of the sides and ends, togetherwith the tie rods, and can replace they samewithoutdisturbing the upperportions of the casing or the partition structure mounted therein. 1 The useful life of the cratesY is thus indefinitely extended.

Having hu's described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish tobe limited to the details herein diselosed,`otherl wise than as setforth in the claim, but what 4 Iclaim is lA shipping Crate vcomprising a rectangular formed in upper and lower a multi-cell partition structure `sej crate secured to said lower ycasing section ,and

upwardly spaced from the lower edge thereof, and means to ysecure said upper and lower easing seotionstogether, said lower casing secf tion comprising sideand endwall portions Y and being freefromdirect attachment to said partition structure and said lower casing Vsection and 'bottom being removable and replaceable as a unit in said crate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aixed my signature. v

Y PHILIP N. CURTIS.

means the crates may be 

